Motor vehicles contain numerous lighting devices for both interior and exterior illumination. For example, exterior, vehicle lighting devices may perform stop lamp functions, tail lamp functions, headlamp functions, daytime running light functions, dynamic bending light functions, and fog lamp functions. Numerous studies have found that nighttime visibility is a key to highway safety.
In an effort to improve vehicle and pedestrian safety, most governments promulgate some form of safety regulations that specify motor vehicle lighting performance requirements. This helps to ensure adequate illumination of the roadway and enhance the visibility of motor vehicles on the roads so that their presence is perceived and their signals are understood in daylight, in darkness, and in conditions of reduced visibility.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the United States has its own set of tests and ratings (Headlight Test and Rating Protocol) for headlamp performance. The IIHS tests and ratings seek to encourage manufacturers to improve the illumination performance in actual on-road use. IIHS evaluations have shown that the on-road illumination provided by vehicle headlamps varies widely. In addition, IIHS has rated the majority of headlamps in a poor category (e.g. insufficient illumination, excessive glare, etc.). The IIHS testing protocol tests headlamp for 5 curve conditions: 1/150 meter radius Left curve, 2/250 meter radius Left curve, 3/Straight roadway, 4/250 meter Right curve, and 5/150 meter Right curve.
It is prudent for vehicle manufacturers to design vehicle lighting devices which meet the technical requirements of various standards around the world and in particular, in their associated marketing regions. In recent years, vehicle lighting has also become important for its aesthetic appeal to consumers.
Some vehicles are equipped with adaptive driving beams (ADB) that use an array of overlapping beam sections, also known as pixels, to form a composite beam pattern. The pixels or groups of pixels are turned off to form a dark tunnel which can be placed over or aligned with an oncoming vehicle.
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